Through My Enemies Eyes
by silent speed
Summary: After Akatsuki is destroyed, there are people from every angle trying to pick their lives up. There are no good guys and bad guys, just people on opposite sides. Several 'main' characters
1. End Of one Struggle

End of One Struggle

End of One Struggle

Kisame could feel the blood draining from his body. He wouldn't last much longer against this enemy. Lifting Samehada to guard himself, Kisame grounded his feet in the sand beneath him. This was not his element. They had tracked him to the Akatsuki base in Wind country. He knew for a long time that the plan had failed. The power of the demons was simply incomprehensible.

To his left, one of his water clones turned to steam as some form of partially visible fire clone rammed into it. Sticking his sword into the sand, he formed two more clones. He immediately saw that that was a mistake. The demon tracked his chakra and red eyes fell on the Shark-like man. Seeing that he was exposed, Kisame picked up Samehada and ran at the rampaging demon.

He threw Samehada at the blonde demon and formed a series of hand signs. When the combination was complete, wind formed around his body in a protective sphere. He kept running into its fury. The demon was blown back but seemed to just brush the hit off. It formed a seal and the sand beneath Kisame began to shift. He looked down to see two hands of sand coming at him. It had learnt the sand clone jutsu as well. It was to be expected of the clone master. The hands grabbed his ankles and began to pull him under.

Swinging Samehada to the ground, he dug it into the sand and pulled his feet out. He was just in time to see the clawed arm moving towards his back. Kisame instinctively dislocated his arm to block the attack. He was surprised to still feel pain spread in his back. Looking over his shoulder Kisame saw a fist disappear through his back. Below it was a shattered Samehada with wisps of chakra pushing out of the breaks.

It was over. Samehada was more than a sword; it was a constant companion and a part of him. Not only was there no reason to live, but the reserve chakra he had been using for the last ten minutes had come from Samehada. As the life seeped out of him, he was forced to look into the eyes of the nine-tailed fox. He would never see the 'red dawn'. Akatsuki was over.

Naruto gave a sigh of relief as he pulled his bloody arm out of Kisame's dead body. He forced the dark chakra back through the seal and blocked out the sound of the fox banging against the cage in his mind. His self control was coming back and he recalled what had just happened. The fight had been brutally fought for hours. Even in the midst of a barren desert the swordsman fought well and unhindered. If Naruto could not control the fox's power, he wouldn't have kept up. Even the fire jutsus had to be suppressed or he would use up large amounts of chakra healing the burns he caused on himself. In the years since Itachi's death, Kisame had grown many times stronger as Akatsuki became weaker. He had focused on learning jutsu from every village and his sword skills were impossible to match. He was nothing like the 'average' S class missing-nin he was before. He surprisingly had been the last of the Akatsuki to fall. Finally Naruto could rest with both eyes open. He could go home without bringing trouble with him. After so many years, there were a few people he wanted to see again.

But that thinking was for another time. More urgent matters were at hand. Near the beginning of the battle, Jiraiya had been caught in a form of sandstorm jutsu. It seemed that Kisame had learnt a wide variety of jutsu from his three partners since Itachi's death. Searching for Jiraiya, Naruto viewed the scene of the final battle. Through the rubble and debris from the many attacks made by the shark-like sword wielder Naruto saw the Toad Sannin's white hair sticking out of the dunes. He ran up to his sensei and ignored the moist feeling in the sand around him. Getting to his knees, he began to dig furiously at the earth, hoping that he would dig out his friend in time.

He kept hope even when he saw sand fall from Jiraiya's mouth and the eyes that had rolled back into his head. Even after seeing the extent of the sandstorm jutsu, the lacerations that had riddled the body to the point of removing fingers, Naruto kept hope. Only after five minutes of CPR did he let the feeling of uselessness seep into his body and send it into spasms of sobbing. Memories of past battles and experiences flashed through his mind as he cradled the damaged body of his friend.

Jiraiya had been there for all of it. Every new technique, every memorable moment since he was thirteen had something to do with the Toad Sannin. Hundreds of hours of training and years of traveling together had formed a strong bond between the two. He was one of Naruto's best friends and now he was dead. He had saved Naruto's life several times, the latest being making Naruto wait until Kisame was in the desert to attack him. The battle would have ended much differently by the ocean.

After Sakura died, Naruto had felt unbridled hate for the world that had nothing to do with Kyuubi. His anger enveloped his mind and brought forth the demons chakra, sending him to wreak mindless havoc on anyone who was between him and Kisame. With heightened senses, Naruto easily saw that his prey was going to the coast. Getting on all fours, the jinchuriki began his chase only to be blocked two seconds later. Naruto did not try to dodge the looming figure that blocked him, deciding to pummel right through it. Only when it was too late to change course did Naruto recognize a swirling ball of chakra aimed at his stomach. When the dust settled, Naruto a spiral burn on his stomach, but was healing quickly. His eyes went back to their sky blue look as he got up. Because he was thinking clearly again, he realized that Jiraiya had saved his life.

If it had not been for Jiraiya, Naruto would have chased Kisame right into a trap waiting at the coast by the ocean. Not only had Naruto not repaid the favor, but his blind rage at seeing Kisame when they finally tracked him again had practically caused his masters death. He had run straight at the swordsman and began sinking into the sand. Kisame had formed several hand signs. The wind grew stronger and began to spiral around Naruto. Jiraiya had to jump in and pull Naruto out of the sand, but didn't have enough time to get himself out. Naruto hadn't had enough time to check on the Toad Sannin. The battle had been too constant. Jiraiya and Sakura had died because of Akatsuki and all he could do now was cry about it. There was no way to save either of them, no going back and absolutely no hope.

So there he stayed, crying over a dead body as the sun rose over the horizon. It was sadly ironic. This truly was a red dawn. Whether it was minutes or hours later, Garra caught up to him. Garra had been healed from his battle with Tobi, but his arm was still in a cast. He stepped over shards of glass and mountains of debris that had formed from numerous jutsu of all forms through the night to reach Naruto's sobbing body. Garra took in his surroundings and immediately saw the reason for Naruto's grief.

Kneeling beside Naruto, The Kazekage placed a consoling hand on the blonde's shoulder and spoke in as comforting a voice as the demon of the sand could.

"He died so that you and many others may live. Greif is natural…but be careful not to waste the time he has given you on this earth. You must have a reason to live. That is something you taught me." Garra said

Naruto looked up to his friend and nodded his head. Garra was right. He did have a reason to live. There were still precious people he could protect and as long as they were there, he would help them…but there were still two less of them.

* * *

Authors notes: OK there it is. Hopefully the first of many chapters. This one was pretty much done to set the stage and to give an estimate of Naruto's power. I also wanted to give an example of my fight scenes so that if anyone has suggestions, they could do it when the story is new.

So review about how you like the fight scene and feel free to be frank.


	2. The Broken Mind

The Broken Mind

The Broken Mind

_Two months later_

Naruto and Iruka-sensei sat at Ichiraku's after the teachers class had been let out. They did this almost every day now that Naruto was not on missions, and they both enjoyed it. Seeing a momentary pause in Naruto's ravenous eating, Iruka decided to start a conversation.

"So, Naruto, did those ANBU stop interrogating you yet?" he asked, knowing that for the past two months, they had been asking for details on how most Akatsuki hideouts were configured. Being the only living expert, Naruto was expected to comply.

"Yeah, they finally decided they had enough info. They should have just let me lead the search but I think they don't want me near anything dealing with the tailed beasts or Akatsuki. They found a new one the other day. This is the fourth time they've said they found the last one. Anyways, they sent a team out to help the Sand search it." Naruto answered

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, wouldn't it be better to just leave that stuff alone?" Iruka asked skeptically

"Hey! That's exactly what I said. They should just cave in the entrance so no one can get through. But Tsunade said that they had to destroy it the 'right way' or someone might go looking for something." Naruto said

"Well, now that all that's over with, what are you going to do now? What is there to do now?" Iruka questioned the blonde who had begun to eat again

"Oh there's lots of stuff. I have to become Hokage of course and…um…make new techniques and train. Granny Tsunade finally agreed to let me out on missions soon or at least in the next two weeks. I mean, I'm only twenty-three. I have my whole future ahead of me. I might even try out for ANBU." Naruto said laughingly

Iruka had a serious look on his face. Naruto was one of the nicest people he knew and the teacher had seen what happened to people when they joined ANBU. The secrecy and killing changed the best of people.

"Naruto, I don't think it's wise for you to join ANBU. Leave that to people like Neji or Shino. Their personalities are better suited for it. Besides, can you imagine yourself being silent for two days straight, which is one of the entry requirements." He finished with a slight chuckle

Naruto was about to boast about how he once stayed silent for an hour when he remembered he was supposed to meet Hinata twenty minutes ago. Hastily saying goodbye, Naruto ran to the meeting spot, leaving Iruka to pay for the meal.

o-O-o

Hinata had been waiting for five minutes when Naruto arrived. She had anticipated his lateness and had left to coincide with him. She had not been able to see much of him since he returned due to his interrogation sessions and her duties as a Hyuuga, not to mention the shyness that she still felt around him. Him growing into a handsome man had not helped the situation. Sadly, she was forced to push aside her nervousness to get to matters at hand. When he arrived she pushed back a slight blush and began walking, inviting him to follow.

As he walked with Hinata, Naruto could not help muse at how much she had changed. Her long shapely legs were covered in fishnet stockings and they came together under a knee length kimono. She had a smooth figure slightly covered by a hooded jacket that was three quarters zipped up, modestly revealing a substantial cleavage. Her skin was smooth and there was a blush in her cheeks that made her seem more alive that anyone else. Her trademark Hyuuga eyes were the only ones he had ever seen that showed emotion. They were not cold or hurtful but showed a hidden strength. Then there was her leaf forehead protector. It was on a black cloth and was scratched in several places, showing she had been in many battles. Thinking about her forehead protector changed his mood.

Her forehead protector was now actually on her forehead. While he had been gone fighting Akatsuki, her sister had taken the title of heir to the Hyuuga and when her father died, Hanabi had become the head and within the first week placed the caged bird seal on her sister. Every time he saw Hinata, he would see another precious person he didn't protect.

With her Byakugan, Hinata was able to see the change in Naruto's demeanor. With the amount or time she used to spend stalking or 'watching' him, she could see it without it. As much as she wanted to ask him what was wrong, she didn't have time. When they were out of hearing range, she began to speak.

"Naruto-k-kun…I must speak to you about my sister." She waited for a reaction. The one she got was surprise. Seeing this, she hurried to explain.

"You see, since Hanabi…sama became the head, the treatment of branch members has become increasingly severe. Several people have been killed for no reason. I am worried about her. Being in the branch section I have heard about plans against her. They don't let me know much about it because she's my sister, but I hear enough."

"Well, I don't know what you want me to do. I mean, she's your sister, but she is killing innocent people. Maybe you should just tell her to stop." Naruto answered. He didn't want to let her down, but he couldn't support what her sister was doing.

"She won't listen to me and the last time I tried to bring it up, she uses the seal on me." Hinata said worriedly

"I'm sorry." Naruto said with his head to the ground. "If I was there I could have stopped them from putting that thing on your head. I failed you." Tears were coming from his eyes.

"N-naruto-kun. I-It wasn't your fault. You were stopping Ak-katsuki. Th-that was more important. If I was st-rong enough I-I could have stopped it, but I couldn't." Now she had a sad look in her eyes.

"No Hinata, it just happened. I'll accept it if you do. Deal?" Naruto said with a grin.

Hinata could barely nod while thinking that Naruto had made a deal with her.

"But seriously, she is your sister but your clan is innocent. What did you want me to do anyways?" Naruto asked

"I-I don't know. Y-you a-a-always f-find a way. S-sorry." Hinata whispered

"I will. I promise." Naruto said before leaving

o-O-o

_Two days later _

The dual ANBU squads had found an obelisk covered in tags at the right quadrant of the Akatsuki base. The structure was hexagonal in shape and each face was separated into three sections. The tags contained the symbols of every known hidden village and disturbingly one or two unknown. They counted one hundred and ten in all. For the past hour they had been removing them. Although no one knew what they did, they agreed it would be best if they were not in operation. They watched the last leaf tag fall to the floor.

o-O-o

Unknown to the ANBU squads a chain reaction had started the moment they removed the first seal. All around the continent, the mental chains on over a hundred people were broken. They all began to remember the missions they had been given. They also realized how hopeless their plans were, now that their masters were dead.

Iruka grabbed his head as information rushed into him. He finally realized why he befriended the demon child.

* * *

Authors Notes: Don't worry, these chapters will get longer as the character list rises.

I'll accept any writing tips, this is my first real attempt at a story.


	3. Akatsuki's Secret

Akatsuki's Secret

Akatsuki's Secret

Iruka walked towards Ichiraku's to have lunch with Naruto. This had become practically a daily practice for the two of them since Naruto was given time off from missions. It would end soon, and not because Naruto would be going on missions.

Some time in the middle of the night, he felt a floodgate open in his mind as knowledge poured through. At first it was just a bunch of glimpses, causing a few pangs at the back of his mind. He saw Itachi come up to him and reach out his hand. The image shifted to a few years after that, after Itachi had trained him. A few more images of the young Iruka's inauguration into Akatsuki played out in his mind, and then the real trouble started.

As the school teacher sat down beside his supposed favorite student, who was so busy stuffing his face that he didn't notice he was there, Iruka recalled the knowledge of his mission entering his mind.

"_You have learnt all you need…" Itachi spoke in his bored drawl. "For our plans to come to fruition, you must assume your role as friend to the Kyuubi. You-"_

_Iruka had interrupted "What!? You said I would avenge my parents' deaths. You expect me to be nice to that demon! Never." The only thing that stopped his rant was two blood red Sharingan eyes. The normal ones were bad enough, but Itachi-sensei's were different now, deadlier._

"_I assure you, you will have your revenge, but he must be nurtured until the time is right. This will take many years and must be done perfectly." Itachi droned_

"_Master, I-I don't think I can fake befriending the demon for so long. The ways Hokage-sama looks after It, I would be discovered."_

"_We have considered this." Itachi rarely mentioned his colleagues so when he did, Iruka was sure to pay attention. I will seal the knowledge of the past ten years to the back of your mind. You will fulfill your mission subconsciously."_

_Without further discussion, Itachi rapidly performed hand seals and finally placed two fingers to his student's forehead._

"…what to do." Apparently Naruto had found time in-between mouthfuls to begin a conversation.

"I mean, I can't just let her down again. Hinata has suffered too much already. I just have to find a way to stop it from happening." Naruto said with a sigh

Iruka began piecing it together in his mind. It had to do with Hinata and there was something happening, something bad he assumed. Naruto was staring at him, he had to say something.

"Maybe you should talk to Tsunade-sama about it." That was always a safe answer.

"I can't. I wasn't even supposed to tell you about it. If word gets out that the branch members are restless, Hanabi will really go crazy." Naruto said with another exasperated sigh.

'So that's what it's about, now I can actually say something helpful' Iruka thought

"Well you know, you were trained by Jiraiya. You must have learnt about seals. You should know more than anyone else that there is no seal that can't be broken." No, what was he saying? There would be rebellion. The death toll would be horrendous and not just to the Hyuuga clan. Civilians would be caught in the fight.

"Are you sure? That seems illegal." Naruto asked skeptically

Maybe the child really had grown up a bit. Now was his chance to take back what he said, but Itachi's teachings were like a sandstorm in his mind. Iruka was beginning to realize that he was not the person he thought he was. "You never had a problem getting into trouble before, and besides, it's for Hinata."

Naruto straightened at that "Yeah, I can't fail her again. Thanks Iruka."

Iruka smiled as a thought popped into his mind. For a person who claimed to never go back on his word Naruto had failed several people in a short time. Sasuke, Sai, Sakura, apparently Hinata, Jiraiya, Garra's sister Temari. Maybe no matter what he did death and destruction would follow him. If you think of it like that, it would be better for everyone if he just died. Maybe…

Iruka just barely stopped himself from reaching for a kunai. He didn't want Naruto to die. Well, he didn't think he did. I mean the Kyuubi child had killed his parents and countless others. Maybe it was time for a little payback.

Iruka waited until Naruto began stuffing his face again and slowly reached into his pocket for a kunai. If this didn't work out, Naruto could no doubt kill him. Iruka took a few seconds preparing his mind to kill one of his best friends and his worst enemy before firmly grasping the handle of the weapon.

"You know Iruka; you really are a good friend. You've been there for me ever since I was a kid. I just want you to know I appreciate it." Naruto said, totally disrupting Iruka's inner peace.

"N-no problem Naruto. I just stayed around for the jokes." He replied with a grin plastered on his face. Inside, he was anything but happy. He felt weak, unable to do what he worked for all these years. No, he couldn't be weak. That would not only be a disgrace to himself but to the memory of Itachi-sama. With one last calm breath he pulled out his weapon and attacked the Kyuubi.

o-O-o

Naruto was just about to take in another mouthful of his beloved ramen when his body jerked to the right. Milliseconds later, his mind caught up. To his left was the sharpened blade of a kunai attached to the hand and arm of his friend. After a moment's confusion, he understood what was happening and felt sadness fill his heart.

"Okay Iruka, I'll stop eating. If you really want we can split the check." Naruto said, giving a sigh of defeat. This was met by his body jerking to the side again. Apparently, Iruka wanted Naruto to pay for all the food and was now lunging at him with the semi-deadly weapon. Well, that wasn't going to happen. With a scowl on his face, Naruto grabbed Iruka's arm in mid-air and flipped his teacher out into the street.

Surprisingly, Iruka landed on his feet and sprinted towards Naruto. Naruto had always thought that those who can't do, teach. He was about to be proven wrong. Instead of coming straight at him, Iruka threw the kunai already in his hand and slid towards Naruto, preparing to kick him upwards. At the last second, Naruto kicked Iruka's leg, sending him into a spin that he, once again, recovered from on his feet. While preparing for another attack, Naruto realized that there must have been a second kunai thrown in because his arm had a nick on it and a drop of blood was easing its way out.

Iruka attacked seconds after he landed. Naruto blocked a fist moving to his face and whipped out his leg to hit Iruka's open stomach. With serpentine grace, Iruka turned his back to Naruto, allowing him to catch the orange coated leg. Wasting no time, Iruka kicked back with his right leg, barely missing Naruto's groin, but landing on the inside of Naruto's thigh. With no time to think about what would have happened if the kick had been two inches to the left, Naruto wrenched his leg out of Iruka's grasp and jumped away from the still turned back.

When Iruka turned back around, his hands were finishing a hand seal. No words came from his mouth, but Naruto knew the final seal better than anyone else. Five identical kage bunshin poofed into existence and rushed their prey. That was Iruka's first mistake. Naruto did not know how Iruka learned the technique, but he was known as the clone master. With a mere thought, five clones surrounded him and thus began the clone wars.

o-O-o

Iruka smiled when he saw Naruto's clones form. The Kyuubi underestimated Iruka's speed. Before Naruto's clones were even fully formed, three of Iruka's clones were within the protective circle they tried to create. Instead of going for Naruto, Iruka willed the clones to attack Naruto's clones from the inside while he went through the middle. Hopefully, Naruto would think it was a joke long enough to get his throat slit open. Iruka ran between the occupied clones while completing another set of seals.

"Doton: earth spike." Iruka uttered, watching a spike of earth come from behind Naruto at the same time Iruka came from the front and a spare clone came from the side. The joint attack was too much for Naruto who was pushed back onto the spike and immediately burst into nothingness. Well it wasn't nothingness. Several candy colored paints now covered Iruka's face and body while he searched for Naruto. Even in the heat of battle, he could not keep the smile off of his face. Naruto always could make him smile, but that was then. Wiping the smile off his face, Iruka fell further into Itachi's teachings.

Closing his eyes, he sensed Naruto's chakra signature and sped towards it. Apparently Naruto wanted to up the ante because Iruka found him in one of his regular training fields.

o-O-o

Naruto was getting the distinct feeling that this had nothing to do with paying for lunch. For one thing, they had both gotten away from the shop with no trouble and another reason was that a deep fissure was making its way through his favorite training field heading right at him.

Naruto jumped away and watched in awe as lava seemed to erupt from the fissure into his path. Summoning a kage bunshin, Naruto shifted his position enough to stay out of the deadly spray and land safely. Only after reaching the ground did he realize that he was still falling. The earth around him had turned to mud and was sucking him in. Knowing enough not to flail around, he tried to stay calm and think of a way out. That worked for a while and he could literally feel an idea coming when he began to also feel heat climbing up his body. The lava from the previous attack had traveled through the mud to burn him. The only thing that kept him from completely panicking with his body half buried in a muddy furnace was the belief that Iruka would never hurt him.

Despite that belief, a sharp pain was making its way up his body. Deciding he had to do something while his arms were still free, Naruto did what he did best. Hundreds of shadow clones formed around him and began pulling him up. He felt the pressure leaving his body as he inched his way out of the mud. He was almost completely out when his clones simultaneously burst into smoke. When the dust settled, there was the figure of Iruka, standing in the middle of a storm of leaves.

As the dispelled clones information rushed into him, Naruto realized that the leaves had been going so fast that they killed all his clones with thousands of paper cuts. How the hell did Iruka learn all these attacks?

o-O-o

For a moment, Iruka felt like he was toying with Naruto, but then reality kicked in. Naruto had escaped the attacks and was ready for more. The problem was that Iruka had not used that much chakra in over fifteen years. He didn't even know he had that much chakra. Besides, why did Naruto have to die? Since he lost his memory, Iruka began to see that Naruto was not Kyuubi. Iruka was faced with seeing two minds fight in one body. His old mind wanted to follow the wishes of people who were dead now. Akatsuki could not fulfill its mission, so why should he fulfill his. His new mind saw Naruto as a brother and could never hurt him. That mind, for a while, had lost.

Iruka walked towards Naruto and felt a twinge of guilt at the sight of his friends' burnt feet. Naruto slowly lowered his fists when he saw that the fight was over. Now all Iruka had to do was make up some excuse and Naruto would no doubt believe it. Instead of telling a lie, though, he decided to tell the truth.

"Sorry about that. I am going to become a hunter-nin and it's a good idea to test yourself before the exams." Iruka said

So what if it wasn't the complete truth. He had found a way to get away from Naruto and to explain his actions.

"Wait, so you used me as a guinea pig?" Naruto asked, anger rising.

"Yes" Iruka answered simply

Naruto took a few moments to process that and then hesitantly asked a question.

"Does that mean that you are paying for lunch?"

Iruka decided to give him the answer he was hoping for. "Sure. It's the last time in a while we can do this. I'll be on missions while you have to stay in the village to keep an eye on Hinata." He took the opportunity to keep them as far from each other as possible.

Thank God the idiot didn't ask about his new skills.

o-O-o

Tsunade as usual was surrounded by case files, medical reports and a hundred other collections of paper that needed her signature. Usually she would just stare at the pages until a world like 'war' or 'apocalypse' came up. Today was different. There was the bittersweet intelligence on the ongoing civil war within the Sound village, where they still couldn't decide who should succeed Orochimaru after Sasuke left. The war had become more deadly that Orochimaru's reign, and that was saying a lot. However, Tsunade selfishly conceded that at least it was staying in the Sound. Anything that made them weak made the Leaf Village safe.

Even more important than war was a medical report that one of her very well trained medic-nins had finally turned in. The name on the front was her own.

The Hokage's eyes surveyed the pages that told her medical history and more importantly predicted her medical future. If what she was seeing was correct, she might be the first Hokage to die of natural causes. Years of regenerating dead cells, alcohol consumption and stress inducing circumstances had painted a bleak future for her. Despite the fear of death, she was handled it like a true ninja. Closing the file, the fifth Hokage was at relative peace with herself.

"At least I outlived that Snake bastard" she mumbled, once again remembering the Sound civil wars. Unfortunately, her thoughts eventually drifted to the other teammate she outlived. Jiraiya had known her for over forty years. They had saved each other on countless occasions and she would never forget him. The way he laughed. The way he fought. The way he wrote (she never admitted that to anyone). Even the way he showed up out of nowhere when she least exp-

"Hey Granny Tsunade!!" Tsunade nearly died of a heart attack when Naruto jumped through her window. His well known voice bellowed from right behind her, tearing her away from her reverie. When her heart rate came back down and her breathing returned, the fifty eight year old woman wondered whether to let her fear induced anger simmer down ass well.

Turning around, it took all her ninja discipline not to destroy the grinning figure in the window. "Naruto, don't you know how to use the door!?" The Sannin questioned, a distinct chill in her voice.

"Yeah, but the door is all the way over there." Naruto answered a bit too innocently. "Besides, it's important."

The Hokage braced herself. Important for Naruto could range from an eminent attack on the village to a shortage of ramen in the village. She could never tell beforehand, probably because he saw them as equally important. Impatiently, she signaled for him to go on.

"I know I was supposed to start missions next week…" he had practically begged for it to be sooner. "…but I kind of' wanted to stay her for a bit longer."

"Why?" Tsunade asked through increasingly narrowing eyes.

Naruto pretended not to notice them. "I've been gone so long that I didn't realize how much I missed everyone. I just want a couple of months." He said with no hesitation. Tsunade was impressed. She did not think Naruto would ever mature enough to memorize a lie before telling it. She could care less (a/n wouldn't it make more sense to say she couldn't care less?) about why he really wanted to stay. With her death coming nearer, she wanted him nearby, not just for her but so she could set him up as a candidate for Hokage.

"Sure Naruto, you can stay for a few months, but you will have to eventually go back to active duty." Tsunade said, seeing the delight play across his face. Mixed with it was a bit of pride. He probably thought he had fooled her. She had a lot of work to do if he was to be the next Hokage.

* * *

(Authors notes) Once again, feel free to comment of the fighting. I want to know how to do it well before I am halfway through the story.


	4. A Wary Future

A Wary Future

A Wary Future

Four, bronze colored, snake-like eyes peered into the sun for the first time in six years; the first time since Sasuke's betrayal. For all those years, the memory of Sasuke and what he had done formed the solid glare of determination behind those serpentine orbs. Now, finally, he was strong enough, safe enough to come out of his hole. Finally, he could rebuild what had been destroyed, take what had been stolen and maybe, just maybe, he could have revenge on the avenger.

Despite his strength and determination, Kabuto could not withstand the merciless sun that he had been so long without and he suspected his companion couldn't either.

"It's okay Mira, we'll get used to it again." He consoled his only friend.

Wiping tears away from his face, he stepped out of what for too many years had been home, one of the many secret hideouts that served as Orochimaru's safe house network. The sun felt like fire on his skin. In reality there were only ten of these maximum security safe houses, each being able to house only ten people. This one only housed one person. Kabuto and, always by his side, Mira, a coral snake that was firmly wrapped around her owners arm were the sole inhabitants of the shelter for six years. In it, Kabuto had studies the amassed works of Orochimaru and himself. He gained knowledge and skill previously unimaginable. He was certain he had surpassed Tsunade in medical techniques. There were only two people who knew about these hideouts, Kabuto and the Uchiha. Remembering this hideout was the only way Kabuto could have survived the madness that erupted after Orochimaru's death.

Kabuto kept the memory of That Day close to him. He relived it when opened his eyes in the morning until he opened his eyes the next morning. There was no in-between time. He had just left to bring the herbs for the post-procedure nausea Orochimaru would feel in a new body, Sasuke's body. When he heard the struggle down the hall, he thought it was just the pain of switching bodies. How was he supposed to know the technique could be fought off?

Foolishly, Kabuto had waited until the struggle had ended. Orochimaru did not like to be seen in a weakened state, a true warrior. When the servant and medic-nin finally slid the door open, he was standing eye to sharingan eye with…someone.

"_Which one are you?" He had asked_

"_Which one do you think I am?" Sasuke's voice replied_

He should have known from then, but he couldn't imagine that Sasuke could have won. In the end, he should have known, but didn't. Either way it would have been too late. He couldn't defeat the Uchiha, not yet. Before he could congratulate his master on his new body, he found himself staring into the dark abyss of the sharingan eyes. When his vision came back into focus, he was greeted by the form of his master, trapped in his own dimension. It only lasted maybe a second, but the sharingan always did mess with time. It seemed like forever that Sasuke gloated over his victory. Finally he came back to the real world and saw Sasuke's figure retreating while his useless paralyzed form stared watching.

By the time he recovered, Sasuke was long gone. Besides, by then he had bigger problems.

"Sorry Mira. It was an accident." He had unconsciously been clenching his fist.

Mira knew it was an accident. She had spent enough time with him to know when he was remembering. After the first year, she stopped biting him and he worked even harder not to hurt her. He would have gone crazy without her and she would have died without him. They both knew it, but neither ever brought it up. It made him remember again.

o-O-o

Hanabi's penetrating eyes analyzed the face in front of her. Most of it was calm, controlled and ready for anything; the skin was not tight, but smooth. No sign of tension, no sign of any betrayal, but then there was the eyes. The eyes were the portal to the soul and with the Byakugan, Hanabi saw the fear deep within them. With the fear came anger and Hanabi knew that when someone was afraid and angry, all hell could break lose. Despite what she knew, she tried to conceal her thoughts from the subject of her analysis. She was getting better at it too.

She saw those eyes everyday, sometimes twice a day, always full of fear and anger and sometimes contempt. Hanabi was getting used to it although she could find no solid plan to get rid of them.

Turning away from the mirror, the Hyuga Clan leader finished dressing and went to breakfast. Certain that she was the only one who could look into her eyes, Hanabi sat at the head of the table with complete calm and confidence. She knew that every pair of eyes would be watching her, they always were. They were the same people who got her the position she was in. They made her the leader of the most powerful clan in the world. The least she could do was handle the responsibility that came with the power.

When the branch member finally arrived with her bowl of steamed rice and miso soup, Hanabi picked up her chopsticks and slowly, respectfully began eating. Each clump of rice that was brought to her mouth was swallowed five times, swallowed and given three seconds to settle before another clump was swallowed. So far so good. All she had to do was get through the meal and maybe they would trust her to do what was right.

She had made a mistake once, at her inauguration. She was supposed to keep her eyes open through the entire ceremony, signifying that she would be vigilant to the clans needs. She had blinked. They had seen. It was then that she realized just how much responsibility she had been given. She did everything she could to calm the minds of the elders, even branding her sister with the caged bird seal without showing hesitation. It was the least she could do. They were smarter than her. They must have had a good reason. Since then, she had done a good job mostly because she did what her father always said. She listened to her elders.

Now sixteen, Hanabi did not regret what she had done. She would not have gotten the backing of the elders if she did not. Besides, Hinata was not cut out for this kind of life. Hanabi was the strong one, she told herself that everyday, so it must be true. Seeing her chopsticks shift she told herself once more, right before one of the grains of rice fell. Her eyes caught the beauty in simplicity. She noticed the pearly white of the grain as well as the light shadow cast by the overhead lights. The air between the grain parted while it sped to the table, the flawless table with a tightly weaved tablecloth, intricate designs coursed over its entirety, but not on the spot. The spot was where the grain would land. She had calculated that a few milliseconds ago and it didn't seem to be changing course. Then it landed, rolled two centimeters and stopped.

Her heart froze. They didn't act like they noticed but they must have. They saw everything. Needing to keep up the act of calm, Hanabi continued eating but her thoughts never left the grain of rice that everyone saw.

o-O-o

Old weary eyes looked down once more to the week old medical files. Tsunade would not last very long. Although she was technically in her fifties, the amount of cellular regeneration she had undergone made her closer to her late eighties. The only reason she had lasted as long as she had was because of her training. She could even have lasted longer. Ironically, maintaining her constant genjutsu of youth added to her age due to stress and constant use of chakra.

Danzo lifted his eyes. He was not supposed to have seen this. A lot of the things he saw were things he should not see, but they found their way to him eventually. Shizune had procrastinated on burning this long enough to use a copying jutsu that the late Sai invented.

As always, Danzo weighed the implications of this information thoroughly. The opportunities were obviously endless. Tsunade's reign nearly cripple the village on multiple occasions. It had been a miracle that he could pull as many strings as he had from behind the scenes, a miracle and years of practice. There were also many prominent choices for Hokage when she did die. Yes, so many benefit of her death, especially a quiet, natural cause.

But Danzo knew Tsunade never did things quietly. She would be a thorn in the villages' side even after she died. He had learnt to read her twenty years before. She would spend her last breath paving the way for Uzumaki to become Hokage.

"Over my dead body." Danzo mumbled

"What was that, sir?" His constant guard asked

"Nothing." It was rare that Danzo let his thought escape through his mouth, but this time it was understandable. Naruto Uzumaki caused two of the three major catastrophes of this generation and that was if you believed that the kyuubi attack wasn't his fault. Konoha was still recovering from the second and third Akatsuki attacks.

Being a smart man, Danzo could see that none of that was Naruto's fault. The problem was that the now-united populace saw him as Kyuubi. No, Danzo's problem with the boy was not the Kyuubi, although he would always think it would have been better if he were killed at birth. The real problem with Naruto was that he was an idiot. There was a time when, to become a genin, you had to take an I.Q test. Of course, like in the civilian populace, the stupid ones were the strongest.

Despite all of his problems with Sarutobi's policies, Danzo also recognized that the man was a scholar. He could handle diplomatic situations, manage paperwork and put on a public face for the village. Even his reluctance to show aggression was good for something. The only thing remotely good about Tsunade's leadership was that it stopped Jiraiya from being Hokage and sometimes he wondered about that. Jiraiya may have been as dumb as a rock but he knew when to be smart. That part of Tsunade's brain had been killed by copious amounts of alcohol. She could only think of one thing at a time, and until she stopped breathing, she would think of Naruto as the next Hokage.

Taking one last look at the file, Danzo stood up and began his work. He had an idea of who the next Hokage should be. The big problem was convincing him to take the job. The small problem would be making him Hokage.

o-O-o

Kabuto reached the closest Den close to dawn. He should have gotten there much sooner, but when midday came, the sun was just too heavy on him. After so many years in the dark, his skin had become deathly pale and was very sensitive to light. That problem would stop eventually, especially with the amount of outdoor trekking he was doing. The sun wasn't good for Mira either. She didn't make a fuss, but he knew she was used to the cold damp safe house. He was proud of her bravery, but didn't want her to be hurt. She would adapt but until then, he would need to find as much shade as he could.

As far as he could see, the Den was average. It was moderately concealed and underground. There were about one hundred of these Dens spread out around the Sound with a few more hidden ones in both Lightning and Fire country. Each was supposed to hold up to seven hundred, although many held more. They were supposed to be like neighborhoods in a village, but without leadership, they had turned into more like province; provinces that needed to be united once more. Kabuto walked closer to the Den. He shouldn't have found it so easily. There were supposed to be some genjutsu around it. He told himself that the inhabitants had just gotten lazy. Its opening was a set of shallow stairs that made their way to a flat wall that only a specific set of hand seals would open. Once again, Kabuto's past as the right hand of Orochimaru came in handy. Forming ten seals, he watched the wall seemingly dissolve into a walkway.

Kabuto stepped in and traversed the halls, knowing them like the back of his hand. There should have been some guards watching the entrance, but he did not see anyone so far. That made him more wary. Holding Mira closer to his body, he walked on at a slower pace. There were ways he could seal her into an object to make her safer, but when he tried earlier, he knew she didn't like it. He promised never to do it again. Pushing his past mistakes behind him, Kabuto walked on.

Then he saw what he expected, but hoped not to see, the first of many blood splotches. In the center of this one was a dent in the wall made by some kind of blade. He walked on and confirmed his original suspicions. There was no one here, no one alive anyways. As he got closer to the center of the Den, the bodies littering the walkway grew in numbers. Some of them were obviously ninja. Others were children and even harmless animals.

The center of the Den was outlined by a crater nearly fifty feet in diameter. He would have been slightly worried if there were not two bodies spread across the room instead of one. Some sort of suicide attack.

After Orochimaru's death all hell broke loose. In a matter of days nearly all the prisons and holding cells had been destroyed. Many inmates had decided to kill each other, but more decided that their revenge should be taken out on innocents and Sound ninja. Without Orochimaru, there was no way to hold back their use of the curse seal. It was a disaster. But as bad as that was, it had not caused the massacre in this Den. None of these bodies had curse seals on them. No, this was caused by power hungry officials. Everyone seemed to think it was their right to rule after their master's death.

Kabuto had been wise enough to go into hiding without trying to claim his rightful place. They would not be swayed by the simple logic that he was Orochimaru-sama's right hand. The more logical his argument was, the more likely it was it was to get him killed. He wasn't strong back then, not compared to those freaks. He had grown some of them himself. They were made to kill. They were genetically modified and tested to get the best out of them. Needless to say, they were not all sane.

A few things had changed since then. There were fewer of them, for one. They were still crazy and still strong, but now Kabuto was just as strong and he had the upper hand. He had transferred the mastery of the curse seal from Orochimaru's remains to himself. If he could find Juugo, Kabuto might find a way to remove the seal, whether they liked it or not. There were other things that he did to ensure his victory.

Long ago he promised himself that he would not go to Orochimaru's extent of genetic reconstruction and so far, he had done only minor changes. As a ninja who used to need glasses, perfect vision along with thermal imaging was too good to waste. Neither was the ability to shed skin. He would live for a good seventy years before signs of aging, and that was only if he couldn't improve on Orochimaru's goals.

It was going to be a hard task, but he would help the Sound village shed its skin and become greater than what it used to be. This Den was devoid of life, but not all of them would be. The ninja of the sound were survivors. They were alive somewhere. All he had to do was find and unite them.

"Let's go Mira. We have work to do."

o-O-o

Breakfast had gone by without any further disgraces and Hanabi put on a front of a good mood. She had to. She was meeting with Hado, one of the Elders. He had another problem with the branch members. Her father had told her all about the dangers of the branch family. As a child, he told her the story of the noble Kaguya clan that was overthrown by their branch members. After just one year of infighting, the few main branch members left were placed in cages like dogs and only let out to fight. Hanabi would not be responsible for letting something like that happen. She would get submission by all mean necessary.

Hyuga Hado thought on similar lines. He had brought about several laws that would ensure the clans safety. Random searches of branch homes were a small price to pay for ensuring the safety of the most powerful clan in the world. Anyone who disagreed could be punished.

"Good morning Hanabi-sama. I trust your breakfast was well." Hado said, his head bowed in respect.

"Yes it was very good. What have they gone and done now?" Hanabi asked, trying to ignore the itch telling her he knew about what happened at breakfast.

"Good, straight to business. Your father would be proud. It's not really what they have done that bothers me. It's what they haven't done. With so many restrictions on them, I expected a small amount of resistance." Hado said with a hint of worry in his voice.

"They aren't foolish enough to try anything. They know we control them." Hanabi said, finally with sincerity.

"Be that as it may, we must be wary. There is a story you may have heard of, the 'Kaguya Rebellion'" Hado began.

"Yes, my father told me the story when I was young." Hanabi was glad to show her knowledge.

"The Kaguya were overthrown because of years of complacency. They believed they were safe and that ensured their destruction. We must keep an eye on them. Your cousin Neji has already learnt classified techniques. If he were to attack you, do you think you could form the protective seal before he killed you?" Hado cautioned her.

She wanted to say that she could defeat her cousin, but she knew the truth. He had years of experience and was an ANBU squad leader. Hanabi had only recently become a chunin. If he wanted her dead, she would die. The only solace she had was that he wouldn't do something like that. She was his cousin after all.

o-O-o

Even though he had been through it countless times before, the screams always got to him. He had been told by several women that a man could never understand the pain of childbirth. From the sound of it, they were right. An extra blood curdling scream almost made him lose his calm exterior, but he somehow managed to handle it. The first time had not been as good. He threw up on one of the doctors and was sent out of the ward.

This time, he was determined to see his son…or daughter as soon as possible. Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting and hoping, the screams where replaced by the softer wails of a baby. In reality, the cries of a baby are one of the most annoying sounds ever made, but when those cries signal that the baby can breathe you ignore the minor inconvenience.

Minutes past before he got the okay from the doctor. He tentatively walked into the operation room, trying not to look at the mucus and placenta being cleaned off the ground. He focused on the smiling figure of Kinia. She had produced his first child three years ago and he was grateful to her. He could not imagine anyone wanting to go through that more than once. She was one of his favorite wives. In her arms, she held a beautiful girl. She already had dark wisps of hair and from what he could tell, there were no blemishes or deformities.

Before letting joy overflow him, like he had done once before, he looked over to his first wife. She was the chief doctor and if anything was wrong with this child, she would use her special medical jutsu to find out about it. Lately she had been shaking her head after a birth more often, instead of a smile to say everything was fine. There was just something wrong with their blood sometimes. It couldn't be fixed. It couldn't be changed. All he could do then was say goodbye before it was taken away. He did not know how many more times he could handle that sadness, and just waiting to hear a yes or no drove him crazy every time.

He did not have to worry this time. He got a smile broader than ever and all was well. He did not have to say goodbye. This was not just some child. This was his daughter. He could name her.

"Kina." He said, tears of joy springing out and rolling down his face. He was overwhelmed with pride and safely let his joy show.

"Uchiha Kina."


End file.
